2017

2017 State Championship Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

Sarah State XC Sign

State Championship Saturday 11/4 (High School Team/Individual Qualifiers)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/ohsaa/cc/2017/

Course maps: State Championship 5K Course

National Trail Raceway
2650 National Road S.W.
Hebron, 43025

6:30am – Recommended latest departure time from Evergreen area
11:00am – Division III High School Girls Championship

Meet Notes – This is it. The cross country season ends with the State Championship meet.  We’re in uncharted territory this year as Sarah is the first Evergreen Cross Country runner to make it to the State Championship.  At the end of the day, this course is five kilometers long…same as Leagues, Districts and Regionals.  No more qualifying, no more counting points. This is a final chance to simply go out and run against the best competitors the State of Ohio has to offer.

The course itself is run at a dragstrip right next to a rural airport, meaning it’s plenty flat.  The times at this meet tend to be very fast (the boys D1 race two years ago saw a state record broken that had stood since 1982), similar to the District course in Findlay.  Even the weather will be similar: cloudy and lower 50’s at race time.  Conditions will be great for a final race to cap of the season!

Spectator Information -There is a ton of great information at the 2017 OHSAA Cross Country Stat Tournament Coverage Page. *Please note the traffic and parking information*

As mentioned, the meet is run at a dragstrip and there is a grandstand for viewing a good portion of the race (including the finish).  There is also a section “inside” the course on the other side of the dragstrip from the grandstand which offers some good viewing. There have been mixed reviews as to how fan friendly the venue is (there is really no access to the entire second mile), but to give you an idea of what the spectator view is from the stands or the one infield portion, you can check out the following YouTube videos from the 2015 State Championship:

Here’s the finish video from last year’s Division III State Championship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI9D6SFFYhI

The FinishTiming website link on the coverage page will actually update in real time with the splits and places of runners, so for those checking in from NW Ohio you can see how the race unfolds from home. There *may* be a live video feed as well…keep an eye on the website.

This will be a fun day, whether you can make the trip down or just watch online.  We’ll follow up with a season recap soon as well as information on the team banquet.  GO VIKINGS!!!

2017 Regional Championship Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

DSC_0944

Regional Championship Sat. 10/28 (High School Girls only)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/reg/tiffin/2017/g3.htm

Course maps: Tiffin Regional Course

Hedges Boyer Park
491 Coe St.
Tiffin, OH 44883

8:00am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 9:30am)
11:00am – Division III HS girls race
12:15pm – Leave Tiffin
3:30pm – Estimated return time*
* We do plan on stopping for lunch on the way back. Please bring money for food.
Meet Notes – Here we go! We proved that last year was no fluke as we’ve made it again to the Regional meet.  Unlike last year, this course is not new to us this time around. Four of our runners were here for Regionals last year, and six ran in the Tiffin Carnival in September. For every one of our girls, Tiffin was their fastest time until Hudson or Districts, so it’s familiar for being a fast course (if a challenging one). Both Sarah and Kennedy in particular ran very well here in September, and that’s important because both are looking to be the first Viking cross country runners, male or female, to advance to the State Championship.  It’s an exciting time for Viking XC!
The weather will (finally) be something like true XC weather: As of Monday, the projected high temperature was 47F and overcast with a chance of occasional rain.  Fortunately, most of this week looks to be similar weather, meaning we’ll have a chance to acclimate a bit ahead of the race. Runners will be encouraged to dress in layers and to bring extra clothes (especially socks) for after the race. Last year’s race saw temps up around 70F or better, which was enough to see some pollen or leaf mold  in the air that affected a LOT of runners.  This year’s weather is almost ideal for peak performance, and being the first race of the day means we get the course under the best possible conditions.
A important word about uniforms. Per 2017 OHSAA Cross Country Manual, the following rules apply:
  • All school issued uniforms must match (not a problem for us)
  • Any clothing worn under the uniform must be of a solid color
  • If more than one competitor from a team wears clothing under the uniform, it must be the same color as the other team members.  It does not have to be the same brand or length, nor do all competitors have to wear it if one  does or does not choose to.
  • Clothing can have a single logo no more than 2 1/4″ square (ex – they could have the UnderArmor logo, but not a Nike swoosh on the front collar and “NIKE” on the back).
If you have any questions or doubts at all please check with the coaches BEFORE SATURDAY.  There’s enough to be excited about for this meet…uniforms should not be a source of stress that morning.
For those who haven’t seen it, the start and finish area are in a large field circled by trees in the middle of the park, offering a great spectator view of the start and finish.  The course map is linked above and will show that a lot of the race can be viewed from that general area.
A few items to note for spectators:
  • Unlike the carnival, only team buses are allowed to enter the park. Spectator parking can be found here: Team and Spectator Information
  • There is a $7 admission fee (incl. the boys team, even if they ride the team bus)
  • Tiffin is about a 90 minute drive from Evergreen High School, so plan accordingly.
  • Cell coverage is really bad. Calling, texting, tweeting, etc. is a gamble at any given time.
  • Ours is the first race of the day, so it’s a good bet they will start on time
  • As mentioned in the schedule, we do plan on stopping for food on the way back (most likely BW3 in Fremont). Families, friends and fans are welcome to join us, just know it may get a bit crowded with so many people descending on the place during college football game time.
This is what we train for all year.  Our plan is simple: we’re going out there to compete in the toughest Regional in the state, and we plan to match them…stride for stride.

2017 District Meet Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info
Viking XC 2016 Districts
The 2016 Viking XC District teams

District Championshop Sat. 10/21 (High School only)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/ccframe.php?path=./dist/nw/findlay/2017

Course maps: Findlay Owens 5K Course

Owens Community College – Findlay Campus
3200 Bright Road
Findlay, OH 45840

7:45am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 9:00am)
11:00am – Division III HS girls race (District 1)
1:00pm – Division III HS boys race (District 2)
4:00pm – Estimated return time
Meet Notes – Once again we find ourselves looking at the final phase of our season. Both as teams and individuals, it’s place or go home.  This year, they threw us a curve ball by switching from preset districts to a seeding system, much like other sports use.  The coaches all submitted their times for their varsity runners, then voted on seeding for all 30 teams in the district.  The voting results were used to break those 30 teams into two district races.  At the end of the day, it means for a more challenging district for the girls team. The top four teams advance to Regionals, and we are currently seeded fifth.  One of the teams seeded ahead of us hasn’t had a full team run in several weeks due to injury, but team seeded right behind us has a strong team and placed ahead of us last season.  Advancement is earned, not given; we have to run our best to move on, and we don’t get extra help just because we’ve faced adversity this season.
The course is exactly the same as last year: it’s flat and pretty fast.  It’s also fairly spectator friendly, allowing folks the chance to see the start, most of the first mile, and the finish with only a moderate amount of walking.  There are a lot of straightaways, but there are also some sharp turns that keep it interesting.  The weather will be in our favor, with an expected race time temperature in the upper 60s for the girls and lighter winds (compare to a high of 55F and cloudy with 17mph sustained winds last year).
This will be a long day…we leave before 8am and won’t get back until late afternoon, so rest is essential. It was a great atmosphere last year though, and we anticipate the same this year.  We’re there to compete, stride for stride.

 

2017 NWOAL Championship Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

NWOAL Week

NWOAL League Championship Sat. 10/14 (High School & Middle School)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/nwoal/2017/

Course maps:
High School Course
Middle School Course

Homecoming Park
(Wauseon, OH)

Fan Parking Information

7:45am – Meet at High School
8:00am – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 8:30am)
10:00am – HS girls race
10:40am – HS boys race
11:20am – MS girls race
12:00pm – MS boys race
12:30pm – Awards
1:30pm – Estimated return time

Meet Notes – This is it…the league championship meet! For many runners, this is the final race of their season and their chance to put it all on the line competing against their league rivals.  We run in one of the most competitive leagues in the state, so every place in the race counts!  If ever there was a week to do the little things…hydrate well, eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep…this is the week.

This season, we had the opportunity to preview this course not once but twice. We walked/jogged the course a few weeks ago, then ran it in race conditions at the Fulton County Invitational on 9/26.  The latter was HOT…we ran in 90F+ at 5pm with direct sun. The forecast currently calls for partly sunny and high of 80F, but with most races being run before noon it should stay cool enough for the temperature to not be a factor.

Note – Parking is limited!  Please see the parking map linked above and be sure to give yourself enough time to find a spot.

The league meet t-shirts usually look pretty sharp, and this year is no exception:
2017 NWOAL CC Champ A

Shirts are grey and will be available in short sleeve ($12) or long sleeve ($15) – CASH ONLY

2017 Hudson Invitational Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

2016-hudson-banner

Hudson Invitational Sat. 10/7 (High School & Middle School)

Results available at https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Results/Meet.aspx?Meet=134262

Course maps:
Hudson High School Course
Hudson Middle School Course

Hudson High School
746 N Maple Grove Ave
Hudson, MI 49247

7:00am – MS bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 7:45am)
8:00am – HS bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 8:45am)
9:00am – MS girls race
9:45am – MS boys race
10:30am – HS girls varsity race
11:30am – HS boys varsity race
12:00pm – Open race (JV, coaches, etc.)
12:40pm – Awards ceremony
1:45pm – Estimated return time
Meet Notes – Last year was our first visit to this meet, and the response was overwhelmingly favorable.  Though not quite as big as Tiffin, this is a larger meet with a pretty festive atmosphere (including some music and dancing).  The course itself is pretty decent, with a combination of wooded trails, open grass fields, and a great downhill finish.  From a spectator standpoint, a good portion of the race is viewable from the start/finish area.
Travel time from the high school is approximately 45 minutes. Please be advised they do charge $5 per person for entry so plan accordingly.  We do realize that there’s both a girls’ varsity soccer game and the homecoming dance later this day, but we do ask everyone to stay as long as possible to cheer on your fellow Viking runners, and we remind you to notify us in advance if you will be leaving early.

2017 Fulton County Invitational Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

2017 Homecoming Hill

UPDATE: This is a high school only meet. Middle school will have regular practice after school.
Fulton County Invitational Tue. 9/26 (High School only)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/fultoncounty/2017/

Course maps:
High School Course
Middle School Course

Homecoming Park
Parking Info: http://www.baumspage.com/cc/fultoncounty/2017/Fan%20Parking%20information.pdf

3:00pm – Bus leaves from High School (est. arrival 3:30pm)
5:00pm – HS girls race
5:30pm – HS boys race
6:00pm – Two mile open
6:20pm – Awards ceremony
7:00pm – Estimated return time
Meet Notes – This is the inaugural running of this invitational and a chance for Wauseon to go through the process of hosting a meet prior to hosting the NWOAL Championships on October 14.  The high school and middle school runners had an opportunity to preview this course a couple weeks ago, and this is an opportunity for us to run a full race on the course before competing at leagues.  We don’t typically run full invitationals in the middle of the week, but Wauseon had to accommodate the fact that many schools already had invitationals booked on these weekends in advance and indicated that they will be looking to host on a Saturday next year (likely the weekend after Widewater).
Based on what we saw at the preview, this promises to be a pretty fast course so we’re looking forward to a chance to run it a couple times (for those of you familiar with Homecoming Park: no, we do NOT have to run up Homecoming Hill!).

 

Parking will be a little tricky so please refer to the information linked above as there are several designated locations.  It will also still be pretty hot Tuesday and the start/finish area is in an open field, so plan accordingly.  There are restroom facilities at the main pavilion/finish as well as near the starting area.

2017 Widewater Invitational Info

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

2016-widewater-ashley-katie
Liberty Center Widewater Invitational Sat. 9/23 (High School & Middle School)

Results available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/libertycenter/2017/

Course schedule and maps: http://www.baumspage.com/cc/libertycenter/2017/Course%20Schedule%20and%20Maps.pdf

Widewater Retreat Center
4050 Old US24
Liberty Center, OH 43532

*Parking Note – Do not go to the main park entrance. Parking is off of County Road 4 west of the park and should be marked.  There is a $5 charge for parking, and it’s a bit of a hike from the parking area to the starting line so plan accordingly.

Schedule:

7:00am – Middle school bus leaves (est. arrival 7:45am)
9:00am – Middle School girls race
9:30am – Middle School boys race
10:00am – Middle School awards
11:00am – Estimated return to EHS

 

9:15am – High School team bus leaves (est. arrival 10:00am)
11:30am – High School girls race (Black Division)
12:15pm – High School boys race (Black Division)
1:00pm – High School awards
2:00pm – Estimated return to EHS
Meet Notes – This course is a perennial favorite.  It offers a little bit of everything: fast/flat first mile, grassy and rolling second mile, and the third mile includes wooded trails, a water hazard followed by a steep hill, and a flat, open finish.  From a spectator standpoint, here is pretty good viewing of the start, one mile mark, and the finish (as well as “the hill” near the finish).  Most of the rest of the course is accessible, just be prepared to get some exercise!
It’s going to be HOT Saturday, so please dress and plan accordingly.  There is shade to be found, but the main field with the start/finish area is a wide open field so it will be toasty!

2017 Fayette Eagle Invitational Info (EMS)

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

2016-fayette-girls-start

Fayette Eagle Invitational – Sat. 9/16 (Middle School only)
Harrison Lake State Park
26246 Harrison Lake Road
Fayette, OH 43521

Results online at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/fayette/2017

7:20am – Leave from High School (est. arrival at Harrison Lake 8:00am)
9:00am – Girls’ middle school race
9:30am – Boys’ middle school race
11:00am – Estimated return to Evergreen

Notes – One of the most beautiful courses we run with a few moderate hills and lots of wooded trails. This course has been pretty fast for middle school runners over the years, with nearly every runner setting a personal record at the meet.  From a spectator standpoint, the start and finish areas are fairly close together, with the finish being a long stretch great for cheering.  The course has been modified several times over the years, so double check the start and finish locations on arrival in case they’ve been moved again.  The graphic below gives an approximation of where they’ve been in the past. Be sure to give yourself extra time to find a parking spot and walk to the start/finish area.

Harrison Lake Start/Finish

2017 Ottawa-Glandorf Invitational Info (EHS)

P.Schwan 2017, Race Info

DSC_0860Ottawa-Glandorf Invitational Sat. 9/16 (High School only)

Results and info available at http://www.baumspage.com/cc/ottawa/2017/

Course maps:

High School Course

Ottawa Memorial Park
730 N Locust St
Ottawa, OH 45875

6:00am – Meet at High School (bus leaves 6:15am sharp, est. arrival 7:30am)
9:30am – HS Varsity boys race
10:30am – HS Varsity girls race
1:30pm – Expected return to Evergreen

Meet Notes – O-G, Take Two.  Last year we traveled all the way to Ottawa only to be told the meet was canceled due to rain because they were concerned about jeopardizing course conditions for the upcoming District meet hosted five weeks later.  Disappointed but determined, we jogged the course anyway just to gain some familiarity and we’re looking forward to competing on it this season.  This is widely known as a very fast course, and while it will feel small compared to Tiffin we will have some great competition to contend with.

From a spectator standpoint, the course (linked above) weaves back and forth across the park and offers numerous opportunities to cheer on runners.  Several areas have the runners coming through one direction and back the other, so there are plenty of spots to watch from.  The one mile and two mile marks are very close to each other and not far from the finish line.

 

Otsego Invitational Recap

P.Schwan 2017, Race Recap

2017 Otsego Augie

Recap: The Viking high school runners had a good meet last Saturday and did some solid work. Our strategy for this meet was more about place than time as this course doesn’t usually lend itself to speed despite being mostly flat (there are just enough speed bumps and sharp turns to really disrupt rhythm). With that strategy in view, both the boys and girls teams did well.

The Lady Vikes kicked off the morning shorthanded, with Hannah still out and Kennedy and Katie both at the fair, so there wasn’t a full team on hand from a scoring standpoint. That said, the girls executed the strategy VERY well. Sarah led the girls again, letting the rabbits sprint out quickly before methodically passing them one by one. She crossed the mile mark in sixth place and continued to surge up to challenge the leader by the final half mile before finally securing a strong second place finish. Trin and Ashley mirrored the effort in moving from 27th to 23rd and 39th to 31st, respectively, over the last two miles. Being able to pass runners after the first mile is a sign of strong running and makes a huge difference in the outcome of meets.

For the varsity boys, they followed up with a similar effort. In their case, they had league rival Swanton to compete against and they matched up well. Three of the top five runners fought through the race and came in just ahead of a rival, and our fifth man came in just after one despite struggling with cramping. This is the type of competition that reminds us this is a team sport, and it’s a great example of teamwork in action. From an individual perspective, the boys were led by Kyle Bowser with a strong top 20 finish, but the day belonged to Augie. In this same meet last year, he dropped a significant amount of time off his PR, catapulting him from the JV squad onto varsity for the rest of the season. He followed up this year by taking nearly a full minute off his personal best and breaking 20:00 for the first time. Alex was right on his heels…just five seconds back…and Kevin, Chan, Tommy and Drew all finished within an 36 second span.

In the open race, Kyle Smith had one of the faster opening miles of the day but stepped funny on the way through the water hazard and had to fight through leg pain the rest of the race. He gutted it out, but Evan took advantage and wound up leading the Vikings in the race. Gavin followed up a 31 second PR last week by taking another 27 seconds off this week and running 4:10 faster than Otsego last year. Chris and Nick also improved their times from last week’s meet.

Here are the results for the High School:

Last Name First Name Finish Place
Bowser Kyle 19:08 20
Tipping Augie 19:59 34
Majewski Alex 20:04 36
Crisp Kevin 21:04 42
Ruetz Chandler 21:30 46
Pollard Thomas 21:39 48
Donnald Drew 21:40 49
Pennington Evan 21:58 16
Smith Kyle 22:22 18
Rhodus Gavin 22:58 26
Ruth John 23:02 27
Hartzell Chris 23:09 28
Hassen Nick 23:53 30
Utz Ashton 25:20 38
Simon Pete 30:51 43
Schwan Sarah 20:26 2
Welch Trinity 24:38 23
Garlick Ashley 25:27 31
McCormick Alexis 33:46 52

Full Event Results are available on Baumspage.

Up Next: The high school team travels to the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival while the middle school competes at the Archbold Invitational.